When Emily Wayborn goes home to visit her mom while on hiatus from her hit TV show, she receives a voicemail from her former best friend, Amber. Though the two were once notorious party girls, they haven't spoken in years. Although the message might sound benign to anyone else, Amber uses a safe word that Emily recognizes, a word they always used to get out of sticky situations during their wild days. And what's more chilling than the voicemail: it turns out that Amber has gone missing.

Determined to track down her friend, Emily follows a chain of clues that lead her to the enigmatic billionaire Reeve Sallis, a hotelier known for his shady dealings and play boy reputation. Now, in order to find Amber, Emily must seduce Reeve to learn his secrets and discover the whereabouts of her friend. But as she finds herself more entangled with him, she finds she's drawn to Reeve for more than just his connection to Amber, despite her growing fear that he may be the enemy. When she's forced to choose where her loyalty lies, how will she decide between saving Amber and saving her heart?

MY REVIEW

6 STARS

Get ready to see Laurelin Paige in a whole new light! First Touch is a slow burn that builds to a heart stopping climax that will not only leave you hanging but also gasping.

"I can't figure you out Emily." His words were tight yet even. "I don't know if I like you or if I just want to fuck you."

Emily Wayborn has not always had an easy life, spending most of her younger years living fast and loose with Amber, a young woman even more troubled than herself. Meeting her at a time in her life when she was looking for excitement bonded her to Amber in ways she could never have imagined. Emily and Amber are the best of friends, they truly loved each other and they share everything, I mean everything. That is until one night, an act of unspeakable violence rips them apart. Emily sets off on her own for the first time in years with one goal, to make something of herself and start over with a clean slate. Fast forward years later, Emily is now a successful actress and no longer indulging in her old habits. But even after all this time, Emily finds herself missing the best friend she’s ever had and years later, she still regrets the way things ended with Amber. When Emily hears a message from Amber on her mother’s answering machine, she knows one thing for certain, that Amber is in danger. Emily now has a new mission, she will do whatever it takes to find Amber and make everything right again. She will have her best friend back once again…

What Emily could have never known when she started the arduous task of trying find Amber is how difficult or dangerous it was going to be. She will be risking her own life to find Amber, if she is even still alive, it’s looking very possible that she may already be dead. She has one lead, and she will follow that lead until she has her answers one way or another.

"While it was helpful to be genuinely interested in a man I wanted to get close to, I recognized that the intensity of my attraction to Reeve was a weakness. It distracted me. It made me vulnerable."

Reeve Sallis is an extremely wealthy hotelier, but that’s not all he’s known for. He has some very deeply rooted connections to some unbelievably dangerous people. As a matter of fact, Reeve himself is a very dangerous man himself. Reeve may very well be the only key to finding out what has happened to Amber, and if that is the case, Emily will do whatever it takes to uncover what he knows.

"He was impressive. And as gratifying as it was for me to have captured his attention, I was fully aware that I was over my head."

Laurelin Paige has never written like this before, First Touch, is dark, mysterious, unsettling, and haunting. Reeve Sallis is an alpha that will have you not only seriously questioning his motives, but also his true nature. He’s unapologetic in his actions and desires. He takes what he wants and demands obedience. No one questions Reeve and those who do are left regretting it. Emily is tenacious and unrelenting when she has her sights set on a goal, she doesn’t experience fear the way most others do, in fact it makes her feel alive in ways, she hasn’t in years. When Reeve and Emily collide it’s the perfect storm, and it becomes blindingly obvious from the very start that no one will be emerging unscathed.

"He clamped his hand, hard, over my mouth. Then he loosened his grip, letting his fingers tug at my lower lip. "I'm not sure you understand who I am yet, Emily."

My heart pounded in my ears. "I'm learning."

Reeve trailed his fingers lower, down my neck, over the space where my pulse fluttered in my throat. "No. You aren't yet. But you will."

Paige’s writing in this story is flawless. It’s meticulously plotted and the pacing builds to a fevered pitch the further you venture into the story. This book allows Paige to flex her muscles and explore a whole other genre, and within it she shines. Unlike anything else you’ve read this year or could even expect from Paige, First Touch is going to shock you. It’s going to have you returning to previous read sections, just to retrace your steps, to see if you’ve missed a clue. I found myself hypnotized by this story, I was desperate for answers and when the book ended I was shocked, frustrated and overwhelmed. I’ve never said WTF???? So many times in my entire life!!!!! The cliff hanger is intense and shocking, but it is truly brilliant. Paige has ensured that when you finish the last few pages of First Touch you will be truly and utterly addicted. You’ll be so invested in this story and its characters that now you would do anything within your power just to read the next book and see how the mystery will unravel.

Congratulations Laurelin Paige, on a book that is not only captivating but shocking and unputdownable. There is a reason why Laurelin is one of my all-time favorite authors and with this book she not only demonstrates an uncanny ability to create a fascinating story with intriguing characters but she also shows us just how truly talented she is with her writing, this book is simply put AMAZING! A story that is sure to shock you, First Touch is going to leave you reeling, in all of the best possible ways.

"I think you're a better man than you think you are." But what I meant was, maybe you're a better man than I think you are."

Meet Laurelin...

Laurelin Paige is the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling Author of the Fixed Trilogy. She's a sucker for a good romance and gets giddy anytime there's kissing, much to the embarrassment of her three daughters. Her husband doesn't seem to complain, however. When she isn't reading or writing sexy stories, she's probably singing, watching Game of Thrones and the Walking Dead, or dreaming of Michael Fassbender. She's also a proud member of Mensa International though she doesn't do anything with the organization except use it as material for her bio.

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